Real Slim Shady vs. Real Housewives: Eminem Tries to Block ‘Reasonably Shady’ Trademark
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Eminem is asking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to confirm he is the real — and only — Slim Shady. The rapper and his lawyers are opposing a trademark application from two cast members of The Real Housewives of Potomac, who are hoping to secure a mark for their various ventures under the name “Reasonably Shady.”
The two Potomac stars, Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon, submitted their trademark application last February. The pair already co-host a podcast called Reasonably Shady and were aiming to secure a mark for the brand that would cover merchandise and other “entertainment services,” like podcasts and live events, about “dating, relationships, marriage, entrepreneurs, motherhood, style, glam, and current events.”
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Last Tuesday, Feb. 14, Eminem (real name Marshal Mathers) and his lawyer submitted opposition to Bryant and Dixon’s application. The opposition, obtained by Rolling Stone, states plainly that Mathers “believes he will be damaged” if the Patent and Trademark Office grants Bryant and Dixon their mark.
Mathers has owned marks for both “Slim Shady” and “Shady” for the past two decades, covering everything from his records and tours to his merchandise. While these marks were obtained in the early 2000s, the opposition filing notes that Mathers has been using “Slim Shady” and “Shady” since as far back as 1996.
According to the filing, the “dominant portion” of Bryant and Dixon’s “Reasonably Shady” mark is “identical” to Mathers’ “Shady” and “Slim Shady” marks. Mathers’ lawyer claims “confusion is unavoidable” between the two marks and that the public could come to falsely believe Bryant and Dixon were “in some way connected or affiliated with” Mathers.
Andrea Evans, a lawyer for Bryant and Dixon, tells Rolling Stone, “Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant intend to defend their trademark application, as there is no likelihood of confusion and consumers are not likely to confuse REASONABLY SHADY with Mather’s SHADY/SLIM SHADY/SHADY LIMITED trademark registrations. The trademarks are not confusingly similar and the services are not related.”
According to the Patent and Trademark Office, the two Housewives stars will have 40 days to file an answer to Mathers’ opposition.
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